How to Open Two Adobe Files Simultaneously

Amy DombrowerUpdated March 23, 2017

Adobe's various programs, such as Acrobat, Photoshop and InDesign, all have the capability of opening and viewing two files simultaneously. The type of files you can open depend on the program you are using. Acrobat and Reader solely open Portable Document Format (PDF) files, while Photoshop can open a variety of image files. All Adobe programs allow you to view multiple files at once, switch between different windows and arrange the files to your liking.

Open Adobe Acrobat.

Click the "File" menu, then "Open.

Browse your computer files in the "Open" dialogue box. Open the folder containing the two PDF files you need. Press "Ctrl" (Windows) or "Command" (Mac) while you select each file. Click "Open." Both files will open simultaneously into separate windows.

Click the "Window" menu. Each file is listed at the bottom of the menu. Select the unchecked file name to switch to the other file. Click "Tile," then "Horizontally" or "Vertically" to view the files simultaneously. Click "Cascade" to view them on top of each other.

Open Adobe Photoshop.

Click the "File" menu, then "Open."

Browse your folders and open the folder containing the two desired image files. The files could be of different types, such as a PSD file and a JPEG. Press "Ctrl" or "Command" while selecting each file. Click "Open."

Click the "Window" menu to switch between files. Select "Arrange, then "Cascade, Tile Horizontally, or Tile Vertically" to view them simultaneously.

Open Adobe InDesign.

Click the "File" menu, then "Open."

Browse your computer's files and open the folder containing INDD files, the native format for Adobe InDesign. Press "Ctrl" or "Command" while selecting each INDD file you want to open. Click "Open."

Click the "Window" menu to switch between files. Select "Arrange," then choose how you would like to view the documents simultaneously.

Choose Citation Style

Dombrower, Amy. (2017, May 13). How to Open Two Adobe Files Simultaneously. . Retrieved from http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_6944029_open-two-adobe-files-simultaneously.html

Dombrower, Amy. "How to Open Two Adobe Files Simultaneously" last modified May 13, 2017. http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_6944029_open-two-adobe-files-simultaneously.html

Note: Depending on which text editor you're pasting into, you might have to add the italics to the site name.

About the Author

Amy Dombrower is a journalist and freelance writer living in Chicago. She worked in the newspaper industry for three years and enjoys writing about technology, health, paper crafts and life improvement. Some of her passions are graphic design, movies, music and fitness. Dombrower earned her Bachelor of Arts in journalism from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.